I'm looking for an electrical coupling to provide 120VAC to equipment on a rotating platform. The platform can only turn one way, so it can't have wires up the hub.
Is there a commercial product out there, and if so, what is it called? None of the electrical places I talked to knew of anything like this...
What are you trying to couple? There are EMT couplings, standard and water tight, threaded conduit couplings, three piece Erickson couplings, explosion proof couplings...
They are called slip rings. There are a number of designs, but typically it's a couple rings of brass with carbon brushes that press against them to conduct the electricity. They are used on everything from tank turrets to ferris wheels. Very similar to the commutator on a DC motor, but the rings are not segmented and provide a continuous connection.
Slip rings are used all over the place. They are very, very common, but they are not a typical "off the shelf" item in most cases. The Thomas Register lists some companies that make them commercially, but they're fairly high end and expensive.
In many cases the company or person making the item that needs the slip rings makes the slip rings as well as they are pretty simple. Any electric motor shop will have a nice assortment of carbon brushes you can use and probably brush holders as well.
I built a display carousel that needed to couple 12VAC power across the rotary connection and I built the slip rings from a couple segments of brass plumbing pipe mounted on PVC pipe with carbon brushes from an auto parts store pressing on them.
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